Tool Test: Traditional English Mortising Chisels from Ray Iles

Most modern mortising chisels these days are poorly ground, misshapen and uncomfortable to use. It’s no small wonder that we’ve invented many ways to get around using these difficult hand tools.

So I was particularly pleased when I learned that Ray Iles had begun making traditional English mortising chisels in the style that graced the tool chests of 18th- and 19th-century woodworkers. These chisels are something quite extraordinary.